Stupid?
by Aileene
Summary: A Beastboy and Raven conversation friendship, nothing further Is Beastboy as stupid as he is advertised or is there something more behind the facade?


**Just some more randomness that my muse hit me with. It actually popped into my head with Beastboy's first sentence and it kept rolling around in my head demanding that I write the conversation. So this is a Beastboy/Raven friendship story, I hope I didn't get him too OOC, but regardless I like how it turned out.**

**I hope you all enjoy :) Please Read and Review.**

**Disclaimer:Well I haven't managed to take over the world yet, so I don't own them...but I am working on it :)**

"You really think I am stupid, don't you?" It wasn't a real question, but the suddenness of the words in the stillness of the room was enough to startle her.

Raven eyed the boy who sat a few feet from her on the couch and slowly laid her book across her lap. She looked, trying to find the emotion that was behind the changeling's words so she would know how to respond.

"I mean," Beastboy ran a hand uncomfortably over the back of his neck. "I know I am not as smart as the rest of you. I don't have the tactical knowledge of Robin, the tech of Cyborg, the randomness of Star or the arcane knowledge that you do." He sighed and slump back on the couch, his manner one of complete defeat. "More often than not I am the one who screws up when we are fighting and I get thrown back at the rest of you, like a weapon not an ally."

"Well," Raven replied carefully. "That is happening less often and you have at least learned to morph out of your animal form before you hit us…most of the time."

"I'm really not that stupid." He insisted as if she hadn't spoken his voice and manner intense.

"What is this about Garfield?" Innate impatience warred with genuine concern.

"My parents were really smart, I mean super smart. If it hadn't been for them I would be dead. They were geniuses in their fields." He paused, sighed again and stared morosely at the rain that splattered against the full length windows in the control room. "Mento and the rest of the Doom Patrol taught me a lot of stuff too."

"I'm sure they did." Raven agreed quietly, she knew that he didn't talk about his past very often and his parents less than that.

"It's just, all you guys are so smart, so clever." He stopped and thought about the rest of what he wanted to say, a sign that this conversation was deadly important to him. "Even Star, even with all her misunderstandings, she grasps everything so fast considering that she is from a different planet and I betcha that if we went to her world tomorrow she would amaze us with how much she knows. I mean you don't get the respect of a whole world of people by being dumb."

"I agree," She nodded at him to continue, this was obviously something that he had to talk out. Something that had been bottled up a little too long and bottling up emotions wasn't very good when you had a beast inside your mind.

"I can't compete with you guys in terms of smarts, I know that." He shrugged in false lightness. "But none of you really stop to laugh, to live; you know, smell the roses. Well, maybe Star does some, but she is a warrior at heart, you all are in your own ways. So I figured, when I joined Doom Patrol and again when I joined The Titans, that you guys don't need another 'smart' guy. I realized that you all needed to laugh, to be reminded of life outside of villains, evil and crime fighting. You all needed to stop and just breathe every now and then." He turned to meet her gaze with pleading green eyes, begging her to understand what he was trying to say.

She did, Raven smiled inwardly, she understood better than the others might have. Which probably explained why he had come to her in the first place.

"Perhaps Beastboy," She picked her book up and looked at him over the top of it. "Perhaps you are smarter than the rest of us in the end."

He smiled relief evident in his face and his suddenly relaxed posture.

"You ever tell anyone I said that and I'll switch out your tofu bacon." She warned without looking up from the page of her book as she settled back down to read.

Beastboy gave her a wink, "Sure thing Rae, I like having secrets with pretty girls."

And just like that he felt better, relieved that someone understood, and what was more, accepted his place in their world and on the team.

"Thanks Rae," He said softly as he stood to leave the room, She nodded without looking at him.


End file.
